ORANGE COUNTY VOICES : Our Wildlife Area and Open Space Must Be Actively Managed : The Earth and its ecosystems deserve respect, not the leftovers of man’s development passions.

I used to stand on the bluff at Bolsa Chica and wish I could go back to a time long ago when this area was known as Gospel Swamp.

The buzz of Pacific Coast Highway would be gone. I would be able to hear the ocean instead. Gone would be the marsh visitors in brightly colored clothing and the romping dogs. I wouldn’t have to confront anyone about the dogs’ running loose terrifying the marsh wildlife.

I would love seeing the ocean enter the wetlands through a natural break in the sand dune. In fact, I’d make it late spring, with wildflowers blooming profusely in the soft, warm sand of the dune. Lizards would be sunning themselves, and the little Belding’s Savannah sparrows would be singing from all ends of the marsh.

Instead, I was always at Bolsa when it was overrun with people and their dogs--and trash. The lizards and the sparrows were still there--just much diminished in number compared to the days of Gospel Swamp.

Amazing how the creatures have held on through the injustices mankind has wrought. Bolsa and other coastal wetlands are now the strongholds for many endangered species.

Yet some people question the whole concept of endangered. How can you explain what extinct really means? How can anyone, given the fact of our short existence on this planet? Why is it that only some of us feel a great sadness with the thought of extinction? Or that only some of us thrill to the sight of elegant terns floating in unison through the hot summer sky in a courtship flight?

What fostered this sense of stewardship I’ll never know, but I’m grateful for it. I know the world won’t stop turning if we lose every last California least tern, gnatcatcher or clapper rail. But I guarantee that mankind will suffer, slowly. And eventually a decay that is unstoppable will set in as the Earth’s ecosystems fall apart. Our social systems will deteriorate along the way.

It is up to us to avert this destruction. The Endangered Species Act is actually a survival mechanism for us. Through it, we may yet save ourselves. The difficulty lies in matching our needs with the requirements of wildlife.

Everywhere I go, I am struck by the quest of mankind for open space, exercise, fresh air, and a stimulating environment. It is manifested through the skier at Tahoe and the surfer at Bolsa Chica State Beach. For mental and physical well-being, we need the outlet and the stimulation of the outdoor world. Some can be happy strolling with their children on concrete walkways lined with rustling trees, whereas others require a wilderness experience in the Sierra.

Nonetheless, we are all victims of this inherent need. But through the “mitigation” process, we end up with narrow greenbelts beat down by overuse from humans and not functioning for wildlife. These token strips will not serve a long-term wildlife need--although humans will love them to extremes.

I see this even in Northern California, where a creek has been “enhanced” for man and wildlife. Dogs are running loose chasing nesting ducks, and children are picking wildflowers, then dropping them as they wilt--faded bouquets of destruction lying limp in the tall green grass of spring. I get so angry--as though it is my very home that is being violated. And I know that it really is.

We must plan ahead. Citizens must get involved. Wildlife deserves respect, not the leftovers of man’s development passions. We must not think of one particular animal at one location, but rather of populations of native animals set in particular habitat types. Then we must link these habitats and populations together.

We have done much wrong, but we have the power to repair. In fact, now we must actively manage our wildlife and open space since our influence is so universal. There may be no place left on Earth that is vast enough and far enough from man’s influence to function alone under the famed “balance of nature.” The cliche is a mistake and should not be used by conservationists of this era.

For once, try experiencing the satisfaction of writing a letter to a senator or attending a board of supervisors hearing. Yes, there will be defeats, and it will be hard work. But it is our obligation to ourselves and our world.

It is everyone’s responsibility to be educated and to educate. Learn respect for the land, such as that which the remnant of Gospel Swamp instills in those who pause long enough to be touched.